—Should We Thank Cashmere Mafia & Lipstick Jungle? 
 
 
Something happened in Mexico City that surprised me. TV producer Miguel Sabido created a popular soap opera called Ven Conmigo (“Come with Me”). At one point, the audience saw the problems one of the main characters was having because he couldn’t read or write. Then it showed him picking up a free literacy booklet from the county adult education center. Illiteracy has been a big problem for a long time in Mexico City and these booklets have been available, and largely unrequested. The morning after the show aired, over a quarter of a million people poured into the streets of Mexico City to get their own literacy booklets. This was just a television show—not even a “reality” show. What happened?
 
The authors of the book Influence call it entertainment education. They claim, “Told well, these vicariously created events approximate the gold standard of change—real experience.”
 
In the US there are two weekly shows competing for the popular television audience: Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle. They have a bit of something for everyone—which is what’s needed to catch people’s attention in the television market. They also have something in common—they both show executives who are women—women who can take charge.
 
This is what’s needed to chip away at the prevalent stereotypes that Catalyst research indicates:  Women take care, and men take charge. These old stereotypes (Can a woman take charge?) all too frequently pop up when women are reviewed, and put off, for promotions.
 
Back to Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle, where the difficult work-life balancing acts are also shown in excruciating detail. Men, I believe, will empathize with women’s plight and jump in to help more often (in real life).
 
So, how do I feel about Cashmere Mafia and Lipstick Jungle? I’m all for this vicarious entertainment education.
 
 
Tip:
If the climate is right for shows like these to catch on, then it’s probably right to overturn the stereotypes we’ve been saddled with. The more people talk and think about stereotypes, the quicker the change. Do your part by chatting with others about how themes have changed since Working Girl and 9 to 5. Now get out there and chat up the new stereotypes!
 
 
 
Further Reading:
 
Blog, Women’s Lunch Talk, by Nancy Clark, Stereotpying Hurts Women In Business —Those Little Put-Downs Add Up
 
 
Podcast (always less than 10 minutes), Working in Heels, by Nancy Clark, Episode 1 - Listen To This First —See Why The Time Is Right For Women In Business
 
 
Website, WomensMedia, by Judy B. Rosener, Ph.D., Women on Corporate Boards Make Good Business Sense
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